Networks
and Society
Fall, 2003
Communication 4710/5710-001 (UC Denver)
Monday/Wednesday
Instructor:
Office: Plaza 102-G (In Comm.
Corridor);
Office Hrs: M/W
Voice Mail 303-556-8808;
also Comm. Dept.
Mailbox: Comm. Dept Office (102-A)
Email: willard@well.com ; E-mail will receive a reply within 48 hours (often within 24 hours).
Web: <http://www.well.com/user/willard/cmmu4710.htm>
Department
The
mission of the Communication Department is to create a learning environment in
which students develop the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to use
communication to create a more civil and
humane world. By civil and humane the
Department means a way of communicating that is rooted in an acceptance and
appreciation of others and that involves communicating in ways that express
respect for and acknowledgement of others regardless of their station in life,
wealth or lack of it, politics, religion, ethnicity, race, or any other
quality.
Rethinking the Departmental
To
emphasize the distinctive mission of our department, let me in turn ask you: what
do we mean by ‘civility?’ How universal
are the values of civility? How does
civility enter into your understanding and practice of what you are learning in
this department, in communication studies, and in your life? How do we ‘communicate’ civility? What is the history of civility? How might civility promote diversity and
creativity? What is the relationship of
civility and humanity? How can we ‘teach’ civility and humanity?
Course Description
What
is a network? Why have we been hearing so much about networks lately? How can networks apply to research and
practices in communication, cultural, and social studies? While the following course will certainly
draw upon some traditional elements of ‘social networks’ analysis in communication
studies, it is now clear with events like the “9-11 Terrorist Attack” that much
new thinking is now going into networked organization and communication. Some of it is interesting, some of it silly,
some of it quite stale. We are going to
begin to see why there is a revolution in ‘network studies’ going on, and how
knowing about the terms, trends, practices, theories, and history of network
studies can provide the undergraduate with tools to evaluate and participate in
trends as diverse as globalization, media institutions integration, and
community development. Emphasis on the link to communication
and media studies.
Course Prerequisites/Objectives
This
course is designed for an upper division, undergraduate
level at UC Denver, although it can be adapted to graduate students when necessary.
A student will need to meet general requirements for ‘upper division’
courses. While we will expose the
student to some of the software for looking at networks, this is not our focus,
and so non-technical and non-mathematical students should feel at home. This will be a more topics oriented course to
allow us to rethink just where such applications might fit. There will be
writing and potential for research. At
the end of course, the student will be able to knowingly approach the history,
frameworks, topics, and trends of this emerging field.
Required Texts and Access
Wellman, Barry. 1999. Networks in the Global Village.
Reading Package available
on-line, potentially distributed in class.
Disability Statement
If
you have specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities that require
accommodations, please let me know early in the semester so that your learning
needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation of your
disability to the Disability Services Office.
Religious Holidays
Students
who will miss class due to religious holidays are asked to provide their
instructors with a list of the dates they will be absent by the beginning of
the second week of the semester. Missed
work on these days will be excused without penalty. These students will have the opportunity to
do the make-up work within a reasonable length of time as determined in
consultation with the instructor.
Students are reminded that individualized instruction cannot be provided
in place of attendance at the regularly scheduled instruction period.
Campus Closure
Information
regarding campus closure due to bad weather conditions is available by calling
556-2401 or by listening to local television or radio stations. Weather decisions for daytime closures are
usually made by
Anticipating the Communication Capstone
Course
The
Department of Communication offers a capstone course. During that
course you will be asked to put together a communication portfolio, i.e., a
compilation of the major projects completed in your communication courses. Major projects are things such as literature
reviews, position papers, rhetorical analyses, web sites you designed,
communication journals, etc. The possibility
that you may one day take the
capstone course means that you need to keep the major projects completed in
your communication courses. Your
instructor will tell you which assignments would count as a major project. Even if you have no intention of taking the
capstone course, a communication portfolio is a valuable asset in the job
interview process.
Academic Honesty
Students
are expected to know, understand, and abide by the guidelines on academic
integrity contained in the CU-Denver Academic Honor Code. All work done for
this course must be the original work of the student submitting it and should
be undertaken exclusively for this course.
Assisting in academic dishonesty (e.g. letting someone copy your
assignments) can retroactively lower your grade. Violations of academic honesty
will result in appropriate action under the University's rules. Any idea,
image, or phraseology not their own should be honestly acknowledged as such and
its source should be fully credited and properly documented. As a
rule of thumb, when in doubt, give credit to the source.
For further clarification, plagiarism is defined and
its consequences are explained in the
Due Dates and Late Penalties
All
course assignments are due at the beginning of class time on their due date
except if specified otherwise. To avoid penalties, arrive to class punctually
with your assignment. An extension will be granted only when both of the
following conditions are satisfied: (1) a
legitimate event or condition, such as an illness, prevents the student from
doing the assignment; (2) the student communicates effectively; the student
requests the extension in writing (e-mail is OK) at least 24 hours before the
due date (except in cases of emergencies or unpredictable accidents, in which
case the student should inform me as soon as is feasible).
Reading Evaluations are due during
class. They will not be accepted at a later time.
Incomplete Policy
Incomplete
grades are not given to students simply because they are receiving lower grades
than they would like. To be eligible for
an incomplete grade, a student must have completed 75% of the course assignments with passing grades and have special
circumstances outside their control that preclude completion of the course. The incomplete grade that will be given if
the above conditions are met is an IF, which means that if the student does not
complete the work for the course within 12 months, the grade reverts to an F. For this course, the term
"Incomplete" means that the student has complied with the
Departmental Attendance Policy, has delivered any required presentations, and
has completed all other required course work up to the last two weeks of the
semester. For those students who meet
these criteria, a potential grade of IF will be considered on a case-by-case
basis. An incomplete is not automatically granted to any student in the course.
Participation
Regular
attendance is beneficial and students are expected to fully participate in all
class meetings. Students are responsible
for all information presented and course work assigned during any absence. The
following departmental attendance policy applies: * Classes meeting 2 times per week. Four
absences, for any reason, will be excused.
At the 5th absence, the grade for the course will be lowered by one
letter grade. Each subsequent absence
will also result in the grade for the course being lowered another letter
grade. *5th and subsequent
absences: may be deemed excused only for
the following reasons: illness, dire
medical and family emergencies, jury duty, military
commitments. Verifiable medical records
and/or other documentation as requested by the instructor will be required.
Class Requirements
The
seminar has been kept deliberately small to facilitate class
participation. To this end, some written
work will be required.
(1) Responses – Each
week, based on careful reading of the material, you will be expected to prepare
several questions for discussion. You must include an indication of how your
question might relate to the readings, and to the class as a whole. Reactions are due in class, Monday. You need
only submit questions a total of 8 times during the semester, allowing for some
flexibility. Submissions need only be one half to a full page but should
present a coherent insight into the readings, followed by one or several
questions that help focus our readings and discussions. Discussion/questions do not have to be typed, but they must be legible and professional
in presentation. I am not concerned with
the form of what you submit, only that you demonstrate that you are doing the
reading with a degree of insight. This requirement replaces the need for a
final exam.
(2) Presentation
– Each person will also be responsible (with a partner) for a 10 minute
oral presentation of the readings and related work. You may chose
your partner, and grades are generally shared, so help each other. Feel free to explore the week's topic if you
wish.
Paper Requirements
The
components of 'writing form' include sentence clarity, grammar, spelling,
punctuation, and overall composition and will contribute some 25% of the paper
grade. Only the final paper need include
a research component. You may chose from among a variety of footnote and
bibliographic conventions, but be consistent.
Paper
1. What is a community? Write a 3-4 page paper employing
what we have learned so far about networks to explain what you think a
community might be. You might explore
the nature of ‘civility’ and how it might contribute to creation and sustaining
of community. Hand-out to follow.
Annotated Bibliography. Thinking about something you wish to
research, you will provide a two page, at least 15 item list of books, on-line
sources, etc. for a ‘final paper. Hand-out to follow.
Research Outline. Not meant to be hard.
Just provide a sense of the questions you wish to ask in your paper.
Paper
2. How useful will the new studies of ‘networks’ be to a
study, problem, or theorist of your choosing.
The various weeks topics might provide suggestions.
2500 words (10 pages or so). More details and hand-out.
to follow. Graduate students will be expected
to research, organize, and write a longer
paper of at least 15-20 pages, with
an emphasis on research, but also can in turn expect more interaction and
support in developing it.
Grading Break-down
Attendance 5%
Participation 5%
Presentation 5%
Responses 15%
Short Paper 10%
Annotated Bibliography 10%
Research Outline 10%
Middle Size Paper 40%
Course Evaluation
In
turn, you will have an opportunity to evaluate the course, as well as the
instructor toward the end of the semester.
Your evaluation will not be available to the instructor until after the
grades have been turned in. However, do consider how to constructively modify
the course, and feel free at any time to sent the
instructor a note, or to make a visit during office hours.
1. Week of Aug 18/20 - Theory
and overview
Aug
18 [Departmental Alteration]. No class.
Aug
20 Introduction to course and to one another
2. Week of Aug 25/27th – What’s up
with networks?
Aug
25th – Reading Due:
* Ronfeldt, David and John Arquilla,
2001. "Networks, Netwars, and the Fight for the
Future" First Monday, vol. 6,
#10 (October 2001), http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_10/ronfeldt/index.html
[Hint: start early since there is a lot to read here. We are interested in more than NetWar. Take in what they present as ‘background.’
Aug
27th - Discussion
3. Week of Sept. 1st/3rd
– Networks continued.
Sept
1 – Labor Day
Sept
3 – Reading Due:
* Kelly,
Kevin. 1994. Out of Control: The New
Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World .
<http://www.kk.org/outofcontrol/contents.php
>. “Hive Mind.”
*
Barabasi,
Albert- Laszlo. (2002). Linked: The New Science of Networks.
* Wellman,
Barry. (1999). Networks
in the Global Village.
Academic
Note: Sept 3 – Last Date to Drop
full-term courses with tuition adjustment. After this date, dropped courses
require instructor’s approval. Drops after this date will appear on
transcripts.
4. Week of Sept 8th/10th
–
Sept
8th– Reading Due [revised]:
*
Anderson, Benedict. (1991). Imagined
Communities (Revised Edition). London/NY: Verso. Selection. Key
idea here is how 'print-capitalism' can create that closed network called
a 'community.'
*
Hacking, Ian. (1984). The Emergence of Probability. Selection.
Sept
10th – Discussion
5. Week of Sept 15th/17th
– Rethinking networks & scale: Function, Structure, & Systems in Communication
Sept
15th– Reading Due [revised]:
*
Wilden,
Anthony. System & Structure:
Essays in Communication and Exchange.(1980). “Analog and Digital Communication.” Ch 4. [A sometimes obtuse, very dense,
but rewarding read on analog/digital. The main thing here is to follow the
discussion between 'analog' and 'digital, between continuous and discrete.
The full version [Posted Earlier] for the daring is this.]
*
Allen, T.F.H. & Thomas B. Starr. (1982). Hierarchy: Perspectives in Ecological Complexity.
%% [first paired, ten minute presentation?]
Sept
17th – Discussion
6. Week of Sept 22nd/24th
– Social Networks 1: History, Rogers, and Software
Sept 22 – [Note Change based on note above]
*
Rogers, Everett & D. L. Kincaid. (1981). Communication
Networks: Towards of a New Paradigm for Research. NY: Free Press.
Selection from Chapter 3 [provides history on this research paradigm]
*
Rogers,
Sept 24 – Discussion:
7. Week of Sept 29th/ Oct 1st – Social Networks 2: Newer Research.
Sept 29 – Reading Due:
*
Wellman, Barry, ed. (1999). Networks in the Global Village.
*
Wellman, Barry, ed. (1999). Class members
choose another chapter from this book. Ideally
we will try to choose different chapters.
Oct
1 – Discussion
8. Week of Oct 6th/8th
– Virtual Corporations Reconsidered in the Network Society
Oct
6 – Reading Due:
*Ashkenas, Ron, et alia. (1995). The
Boundaryless Organization: Breaking the Chains of Organizational
Structure. SF: Jossey-Bass. Selection.
*
Robins, Kevin and Frank Webster. (1988). "Cybernetic
Capitalism: Information, Technology, Everyday Life."
In Vincent Mosco & Jane Wasko, The Political Economy of Information.
*
Oct
8 – Discussion
9. Week of Oct 13th/15th
– Hacktivism, Pirate Utopias, and Eluding Boundaries
Oct
13 – Reading Due:
* Bey, Hakim. (1985). TAZ:
The Temporary Autonomous Zone.
* Lovink, Geert. 2002-2003. "The
Insider's Guide to Tactical Media" in Dark Fiber. Also, the
tactical media debate on Nettime listserv, and material
from The Next 5 Minutes Workbook (
* Denning,
Dorothy. “Activism, Hacktivism, and Cyberterrorism: The Internet as a Tool for Influencing
Policy.” < http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1382/MR1382.ch8.pdf
> in John Arquilla, David Ronfeldt,
eds. Networks and Netwars http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1382/.
Selection.
[*
Optional Reading - Deleuze, Gilles & Felix Guattari.
(1987). A Thousand
Plateaus.
Oct
15 – Discussion
[Annotated
Bibliography New Due Date]
10. Week of Oct 20th/22nd
– Identity, Privacy, and Self in the Network Society
Oct
20 – Reading Due:
*
Gergen, Kenneth (1991). The
Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life. NY: Basic.
Selection
*
Meyrowitz, Joshua. (1985). No Sense of Place:
The Impact of Electronic Media on Social Behavior. NY:
Oct
22 – Discussion
11. Week of Oct 27th/29th
– Art Worlds and Net Art
Oct
27 – Reading Due:
*
Becker, Howard S. (1982). Art
Worlds.
*
Paul, Christiane (2003). "Tactical
Media"
Oct
29 – Discussion
[Outline Due]
12. Week of Nov 3rd/5th
– Global Networks and and Local Networks
Nov
3 – Reading Due:
*Castells, Manuel. 1996. The
rise of network society.
[optional
- * Appadurai, Arjun. (1996). "Disjuncture
and Difference" in Modernity at large: Cultural dimensions of globalization.
[optional
- * Uncapher, Willard. (1995). "Placing
the Mediascape in the Transnational Cultural Flow:
Learning to Theorize an Emerging Global Grassroots Infrastructure"
Nov
5 – Discussion
13. Week of Nov 10th/12th
– Space and Place in the Network Society - (Global/Local 2)
Nov
10 – Reading Due:
*
Soja. Edward. (2000).
Postmetropolis: Critical Studies of Cities and Regions. London/NY: Blackwell.
*
Schuler, Douglas. (1996). New
Community Networks: Wired for Change. NY: Addison-Wesley. Selections.
Nov
12 – Discussion
14. Week of Nov 17th/19th
– Returning to Mass Media Networks – (Global/Local 3)
Nov
17 – Reading Due:
* Continue reading Soja.
* [Optional - Neuman, W. Russell. (1992). The Future of the Mass Audience. NY:
Nov
19 – Discussion
15. Week of Nov 24th/26th
– Emerging Theoretical Approaches and Questions: Autopoiesis,
Swarms, and Emergence. We will be taking off Wed. Nov.
26th for Thanksgiving!
Nov
24 – [
* Howard Rheingold. Smart Mobs. Overview and Social Network Selections.
* [Optional- Howard Rheingold. Smart Mobs. Surveillance Selection
*
[Optional - Re-read:
Nov
26 – Discussion
[Thanksgiving Break]
16. Review Week Dec 1st/Dec
3rd
[Final 2500 word paper due/ see above and handouts.]
Have a great break!